This invention relates to a method for automatic or semiautomatic adjustment of output image areas for producing output images from an original image. The invention particularly relates to the technical field of a method for adjustment of output image areas which is employed when performing image processing on a large quantity of acquired original images and displaying the processed images as output images for verification, or outputting images that have been subjected to image processing in accordance with the result of verification as prints or image data recording media, or delivering them via a network.
The images recorded on photographic films such as negative films and reversal films (which are hereunder referred to simply as xe2x80x9cfilmsxe2x80x9d) are recently printed on light-sensitive materials (photographic paper) by digital exposure. In this new technology, the image recorded on a film is read photoelectrically, converted to digital signals and subjected to various image processing schemes to produce image data for recording purposes; recording light modulated in accordance with the image data is used to scan and expose a light-sensitive material to record an image (latent image), which is subsequently developed to produce a (finished) print. The printer operating on this principle has been commercialized as a digital printer.
In the digital photoprinter, images can be processed as digital image data to determine the exposure conditions for printing, so various operations including the correction of washed-out highlights or flat (dull) shadows due to the taking of pictures with rear light or an electronic flash, sharpening, correction of color failures or density failures, correction of under- or over-exposure and the correction of reduced brightness at the edge of image field can be effectively performed to produce prints of the high quality that has not been attainable by the conventional direct exposure technique. What is more, operations such as the synthesis of more than one image, splitting of a single image into more than one image and even the synthesis of characters can be accomplished by processing image data and one can also output prints after performing desired editing and processing steps in accordance with a specific use.
As further advantages, prints can be produced from images (image data) captured with a digital still camera and the like. The capabilities of the digital photoprinter are not limited to outputting images as prints (photos); image data can be supplied to a computer and the like or stored in image data recording media such as a floppy disk; thus, image data can be put to various non-photographic uses.
The digital photoprinter having these salient features consists of the following three basic units: a scanner with which the image recorded on a film is read photoelectrically (which may be referred to as an xe2x80x9cimage readerxe2x80x9d), an image processor with which the image thus read is subjected to image processing so that it is converted to image data for recording purposes; and a printer which scans and exposes a light-sensitive material in accordance with the image data and which performs development and other necessary processing to produce a print (which may be referred to as xe2x80x9can image recorderxe2x80x9d).
In the scanner, reading light issued from a light source is allowed to be incident on the film and passed through an aperture in a mask to produce projected light bearing the image recorded on the film; the projected light is passed through an optics imaging lens so that it is focused on an image sensor such as a CCD sensor; by photoelectric conversion, the image is read and, if necessary, subjected to various image processing schemes and thereafter sent to the image processor as film""s image data (image data signals).
The image processor sets up image processing conditions from the image data captured with the scanner, subjects the image data to specific image processing schemes that comply with the thus set conditions, and sends the processed image data to the printer as output image data (exposure conditions) for image recording.
In the printer, if it is of a type that uses light beams to scan for exposure, light beams are modulated in accordance with the image data sent from the image processor and a light-sensitive material is scan exposed (printed) two-dimensionally with the modulated light beams to form a latent image, which is then subjected to specified development and other necessary processing to produce a print (photo) reproducing the image recorded on the film.
When the original image recorded on a film or the like is output to an image display device or a printer, it is important that the output image have no unrecorded area, or be free from the problem of entire lack of image. To meet this requirement, the image area to be printed output (hereinafter sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cprint output image areaxe2x80x9d) is set to be smaller in size than the recorded area of the original image and this print output image area is set in a fixed position (taken-out position) so that its margin on the right side is equal to the left margin and its margin on the top is equal to the bottom margin. Consider, for example, the recorded area of an original image on a 135 (35-mm) film. The size of this area on the film is 36.4 mm (xc2x10.4 mm)xc3x9724.4 mm (xc2x10.4 mm) (lengthxc3x97width). If this original image is to be printed out in L size, the print output image area (taken-out area) on the film is 32.07 mmxc3x9722.47 mm (lengthxc3x97width) in size and invariably set to be smaller than the recorded area of the original image by about 2.2 mm on both right and left sides and by about 1.0 mm on both top and bottom.
To produce output image data, the image data within the thus fixed print output image area is subjected to electronic scaling at a specified magnification so that it complies with the desired print size such as L size.
Since the print output image area taken-out or cut out on the film is adapted to be smaller than the recorded area of the original image, there is no such problem as the entire lack of image. However, it often occurs that a principal subject recorded at an end of the recorded area of the original image is lost either partially or entirely on an image display screen or a print output image. In this case, the operator of the digital photoprinter has to adjust the print output image area by moving it about while maintaining its size so that it includes the principal subject. However, this results in a considerable drop in processing efficiency if a large volume of original images has to be printed.
Another problem with the original image to be printed or otherwise processed is that a finger of the photographer is recorded at an end of the image together with the principal subject. This leaves the operator with two alternatives: one is of course producing a print output with the finger showing, and the other is producing a print output after the operator has reduced the area of finger silhouette (shadow image of the finger) by moving the print output image area which is set in a fixed position relative to the recorded area of the original image. For the operator who is printing a large volume of original images, this means extra cumbersome operations and the processing efficiency drops considerably.
The same problem occurs if the film is partly exposed to produce a fog that affects the density of the original image. The operator has only two alternatives and produces a print output with the fog either unremoved or reduced in area by moving the print output image area. As a result, the processing efficiency is considerably lowered.
The present invention has been accomplished under these circumstances and has as an object providing a method of adjusting an output image area for producing an output image from the recorded area of an original image so as to produce output image data that complies with a predetermined output image size, characterized in that appropriate output image data that contains a principal subject but which does not contain any fingers or a fog area can be obtained automatically or by a simple semiautomatic operation, and as a result, the output image data can be obtained from the original image in an efficient manner and the desired output image can be automatically produced.
In order to attain the object described above, the first aspect of the present invention provides a method of adjusting an output image area for producing an output image from a recorded area of an original image within the recorded area of the original image so as to produce output image data that complies with a predetermined output image size, comprising the steps of extracting the recorded area of the original image, extracting at least one region of a principal subject, a finger silhouette and a fog region from the extracted recorded area of the original image to obtain an extracted region, adjusting the output image area automatically in accordance with the extracted region and obtaining the output image data from image data in the adjusted output image area.
Preferably, when the principal subject is extracted from the recorded area of the original image, the output image area is adjusted such that the extracted principal subject is included in the output image area.
Preferably, the principal subject to be extracted is a face.
Preferably, when the finger silhouette or the fog region is extracted from the recorded area of the original image, the output image area is adjusted such that the extracted finger silhouette or fog region is minimized in the output image area.
Preferably, the output image area is automatically adjusted based on preliminarily input or set first auxiliary information.
Preferably, the first auxiliary information includes priority information about which of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region should be preceded when at least two thereof were extracted from an identical recorded area of the original image.
Preferably, the first auxiliary information includes priority information about which of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region should be extracted in a more precedent manner.
Preferably, the at least one region of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region is extracted based on second auxiliary information by an operator.
Preferably, the second auxiliary information is obtained by designating a position of the at least one region of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region.
Preferably, the step of adjusting the output image area in accordance with the extracted region includes the step of changing a position of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image without changing an image size of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image.
Preferably, the step of adjusting the output image area in accordance with the extracted region includes the steps of changing an image size of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image, at least; and changing a scaling factor of electronic scaling in accordance with the changed image size of the output image area or photoelectrically reading an image in the changed image size of the output image area at a correspondingly varied optical magnification.
Preferably, the changed image size of the output image area has the same aspect ratio as the output image area had before its image size was changed.
Preferably, the original image is a digital image obtained by photoelectric reading of an image recorded on a photographic film, a digital image obtained by shooting with a digital still camera or a digital image acquired via a network.
Preferably, the output image data is output to an image display device or a print output device, recorded on an image data recording medium on delivered via a network.
In order to attain the above-described object, the second aspect of the present invention provides a method of adjusting an output image area for producing an output image from a recorded area of an original image within the recorded area of the original image so as to produce output image data that complies with a predetermined output image size, comprising the steps of extracting the recorded area of the original image, extracting at least one region of a principal subject, a finger silhouette and a fog region from the extracted recorded area of the original image to obtain an extracted region, and issuing information for urging an adjustment of the output image area when it is determined as a result of the extracted region that the adjustment of the output image area is necessary.
Preferably, the information for urging the adjustment of the output image area is at least one of information indicating that the output image area does not contain the principal subject, information indicating that the output image area contains the finger silhouette extracted as the extracted region, and information indicating that the output image area contains the fog region extracted as the extracted region.
Preferably, the information for urging the adjustment of the output image area includes one or more sets of frame lines for the output image area that are represented on an image display device for selection of one set of frame lines and adjusted in accordance with the result of the extracted region obtained.
Preferably, the information for urging the adjustment of the output image area is issued based on preliminarily input or set first auxiliary information.
Preferably, the first auxiliary information includes priority information about which of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region should be preceded when at least two thereof were extracted from an identical recorded area of the original image.
Preferably, the first auxiliary information includes priority information about which of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region should be extracted in a more precedent manner.
Preferably, the at least one region of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region is extracted based on second auxiliary information by an operator.
Preferably, the second auxiliary information is obtained by designating a position of the at least one region of the principal subject, the finger silhouette and the fog region.
Preferably, the adjustment of the output image area includes the step of changing a position of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image without changing an image size of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image.
Preferably, the adjustment of the output image area includes the steps of changing an image size of the output image area which is taken out from the recorded area of the original image, at least, and changing a scaling factor of electronic scaling in accordance with the changed image size of the output image area or photoelectrically reading an image of the changed image size of the output image area at a correspondingly varied optical magnification.
Preferably, the changed image size of the output image area has the same aspect ratio as the output image area had before its image size was changed.
Preferably, the original image is a digital image obtained by photoelectric reading of an image recorded on a photographic film, a digital image obtained by shooting with a digital still camera or a digital image acquired via a network.
Preferably, the output image data is output to an image display device or a print output device, recorded on an image data recording medium on delivered via a network.